Here’s Akshay Kumar’s new interview with TOI, where he talks about being a Khiladi, working with Katrina Kaif and why he hasn’t worked with Karan Johar yet.

Read on.

Twenty years as an actor and people will only remember you as a khiladi. Is that okay with you?Ya, why not? Khiladi is my identity, what’s the harm in being remembered for it? With all due respect, it’s the eighth film in the franchise and that itself speaks for the popularity of the title. Here I must share with you that 20 years ago, when Abbas-Mustan suggested the title Khiladi to producer Ratan Jain, he was not in favour of it. Those days, titles were long-winded and Ratan felt that a short title won’t work. But Abbas and Mustan were stubborn.Khiladi (1992) worked and, after that, people started having single word titles like Baazigar (1993), etc. Ironically, Ratan, who didn’t fancy the word khiladi, went on to produce the next Khiladi film called Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994). And, as they say, from then on, there has been no looking back.

To repeat the question, are you happy being Bollywood’s khiladi?Yes, I am. The word khiladi means player in every sense of the term; it means athlete. It’s wonderful to be called an athlete. What’s wrong with being called an athlete and a player?

You’re a player just in the movies or otherwise too? I’m an athletic actor. I’m known for my action, I’m a guy who does my own stunts on screen. And if you are trying to insinuate that player has any other meaning, then you are wrong. I stopped playing the field when I got married. I admit that before my marriage I was a player.

In 2000, you had decided to give up on action films, right?I was going through a transitional phase as an actor and as a person and at that stage, I was suddenly not keen to do any more action films. But they say man proposes, the Almighty disposes. So here I am after 12 years, back again with a Khiladi film and doing plenty of stunts on screen.

Have you sobered down in real life?As I said, I sobered down the day I got married. Now it is work and family, family and work.